Alabama Governor Kay Ivey placed the call to Burgess just prior to noon Tuesday informing him that she is appointing him to fill the unexpired term of J. Kirk Day, who passed away in early October. Burgess told WEIS Radio that he was a bit overwhelmed that Governor Ivey called personally to inform him of her decision. The appointment will be effective as of December 1.

He said he plans to work hard in fulfilling the duties of the office, adding that he’s excited to be chosen to fill the position but knows that as soon as he’s settled into his new role, it’ll be time to gear up for a political campaign as part of the upcoming 2018 election cycle.

Burgess said he looks forward to serving the people of Cherokee County in his new capacity as Probate Judge/County Commission Chairman.